Launching the Future of Flight, The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (Growth)

To maintain the competitive advantage of the United States, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the NACA, expanded west. In 1939, the NACA chose Moffett Field in California as the new location for its expansion. Built next to a naval airfield, the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory had the resources and the space to develop world-class test and research facilities.

What is said in the film

Before NASA and before Silicon Valley, American aeronautics needed space to grow. The onset of World War Two made it clear that if the U. S. wanted a competitive advantage in aeronautics research, it had to expand its footprint. In 1939, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the NACA, chose Moffett Field, in California, as the new location for this effort.

Built next door to a naval airfield, the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory had the resources and the space to develop world-class test and research facilities. That included the world's largest wind tunnel, which opened in 1944. Wind tunnels at Ames operated around the clock. They provided the data needed to devise quick and practical solutions to potentially fatal problems. Testing at Ames of the iconic P-51 Mustang led to modifications that fixed unwanted vibrations in flight.

The formation of ice on wings was an even more serious concern. Ames engineers developed a system that redirected hot air from the engine to the wings, saving countless lives as a result. This work earned the Collier Trophy, the nation's highest award in aviation. The supersonic age and the Cold War put high-speed aeronautics and missile research at the forefront of Ames activities. Test pilots flew the most unique aircraft ever built.

Researchers continued to build innovative wind tunnels. And revolutionary insights from flight research produced breakthroughs that made it possible to safely return humans from space.

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